Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer White.
Hi Jennifer, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After I graduated high school, I worked a summer job at a local parcel warehouse and a second job at a grocery store to save up for community college that fall. Fall came around, I started community college, caring for my diabetic mother (on top of the 2 jobs) and was having a hard time juggling it all. I decided to take a semester off, not long after, my mother suddenly passed.
In my tragic low, I leaned on my Aunt (my mother’s youngest sister) a lot, who offered so much encouragement and positivity.
I remember calling her one day crying, telling her how unhappy I was with my (lack of) career path. She said to quit my jobs and do something that made me excited. We met up later that day at Cracker Barrel, where we realized I love doing hair, and was good at it accords to her (a professional hair stylist/entrepreneur herself).
Nervous and excited, we toured and signed me up for beauty school that very day. I didn’t know how I woood pay for beauty school, but I knew I had to make it work. Two days after I enrolled, my mom’s life insurance policy ended up being my source of tuition payment. My mom continuing to care for me. After I graduated beauty school, it took me 5 years to know what area of the beauty industry I enjoyed most. I worked big hair show gigs, as an assistant to top educators, I even became a sales rep for an international hair beauty line at one point. Once I realized my knack was providing top notch service and detail to my clients in an efficient manner, I hunkered down at a storefront barber shop and established a great clientele in Park Cities..
When the pandemic hit, my husband and I realized it was time for me to start my own business. Trying times, financially, physically, mentally. But we knew we could create a business model that would succeed. So with support and encouragement from my family, I started Five Star Barber, LLC.
I have been self employed now for almost six years right in the heart of Lake Highlands, and it has been the coolest professional journey imaginable.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth road, no. A very bumpy, ADVENTUROUS road, absolutely. I don’t think there were struggles, there were definitely challenges though.
Let’s just say, every challenge and times of adversity I faced helped me become better, hone my craft, and find positivity in almost everything.
Between the slow seasons of the hair industry, recession, the financial hardships, and personal obstacles I faced, these past 21 years have been richly formative.. plot twists included.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I do Men’s, children’s, and women’s cuts/styles, but my favorite are men’s haircuts.
I have been called the “curly hair whisperer” in the community, since I have a large percentage of my clientele has wavy/curly textured hair. I come from curly hair background on both sides of my family, so working with a broad variety of hair types comes naturally to me.
I’m most proud of my diversity in hair knowledge. I can give a business professional the cleanest gentleman’s haircut, as well as giving the young athlete a lower tape with fringe, a faux hawk or some variation of a mullet.
I work hard to stay current on hair trends and continue to grow my hair knowledge by attending hair shows, business classes and racking up continuing education hours.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
This industry is ever growing, evolving, transforming. The next 5-10 years will be even more important,
It’s not like AI or robots will be taking our jobs any time soon. Now for the AI generated haircut inspiration photos clients present.. that’s a different creature we will have to see about.
As far as trends go, they revolve every 30 years or so. Dorothy Hammell hair might make a comeback, or even the Kelli Kapowski. I hope the big 80s and 90s bangs style makes its way back around. I was like 4 inches taller with those, ha!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fivestarbarberdallas.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fivestarbarberdallas?igsh=MTF5a3U1Y2xsMTZqbA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17UGram5tq/?mibextid=wwXIfr
